2016 Ornellaia “Le Serre Nuove” dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Rosso Tuscany 750 ml

A Tuscan Icon...For Less Than A Napa Cab

There are certain names in the wine world that cause a universal sense of awe when they’re mentioned. And when their wines are placed on a dinner table, uncorked, and poured, a hush tends to descend over the people lucky enough to be there for it. Ornellaia is undoubtedly one of them. Serious and powerful, with black cherry, tobacco, porcini mushrooms, and blackberry undertones, this is a complex wine that easily goes toe-to-toe with European First-Growths, and will continue to unfurl from the first sip to the last for years to come.

But we aren’t the only ones impressed with Ornellaia’s second label: Wine Advocate called the 2016 Le Serre Nuove “a fantastic interpretation from Bolgheri…The pleasure factor awarded here is very high.” Jeb Dunnuck, in his own love letter, wrote that the 2016 “is a terrific wine,” adding it is “gorgeous on the palate.”

Our allocation isn’t going to last.

Located Just south of the famed cyprus-tree-lined avenue of Bolgheri, the Ornellaia estate drips with pedigree. The original Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc vines here were planted by the legendary Russian-born enologist André Tchelistcheff, who told then-owner Lodovico Antinori that the property was a vinicultural “El Dorado.” Today, the vines are tended by Axel Heinz, “one of the world’s most in-demand winemakers” according to Vinous founder Antonio Galloni. For the “Le Serre Nuove,” Heinz selects fruit from younger vines and leans more on Merlot, resulting in a fresher, more elegant profile that drinks beautifully out of the gate.

The team at Ornellaia, best known for producing luxurious Super Tuscans out of reach for the average wine lover, has always wanted to share the unique beauty of their land and the wine that comes from it with a wider audience. Which is why, in 1997, the winery began producing a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, made in the same estate vineyards and by the same winemaking team.

Ever since, it’s been one of the most highly anticipated Tuscan buys of the year, consistently scoring higher than second wines from Premier Cru estates like Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion.

The 2016 is no different. At well less than half of the “grand vin,” this may be one of the greatest values in all of Europe.